As the film industry continues to honour Dharmendra’s legacy after his death on November 24, actor-producer Aamir Khan has shared a deeply personal account of their friendship. Speaking at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Aamir offered rare insight into the late actor’s final year and the cherished moments they spent together.
Aamir revealed that he frequently visited Dharmendra over the past twelve months, describing their time together as warm, meaningful and something he always looked forward to. He spoke fondly of the veteran actor’s affection and simplicity, qualities he said made every conversation memorable.
One of the most touching details Aamir shared was that Dharmendra had watched Lahore 1947—Aamir’s upcoming film starring Sunny Deol—well before its official release. He was, in fact, the first viewer.
“Lahore 1947, the film we’ve made with Sunny… I was fortunate to show it to Dharamji,” Aamir said. “He saw it before anyone else, and I’m so happy he did because this script was one of his absolute favourites.”
Aamir also expressed regret for not being able to attend Dharmendra’s prayer meeting on November 27 due to being away from Mumbai. He admitted that he had visited the senior actor around 7–8 times in the last year simply because he enjoyed being in his presence.
He recalled a particularly emotional memory of taking his young son Azad to meet Dharmendra. “Azad and I spent a few hours with him—it was lovely,” Aamir shared. “Dharamji wasn’t just an exceptional performer, he was a beautiful soul.”
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Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and adapted from Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play, Lahore 1947 explores the emotional upheaval of Partition through the story of a Muslim family migrating to Lahore, only to find that the Hindu family meant to vacate their new home has not yet left.
With a star-studded cast that includes Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal and Karan Deol, the film has already generated strong anticipation—and Dharmendra’s early appreciation adds special significance to its release.
